Weekly Update - 26 September |
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Dear John I hope you've had a good week so far! Here's what I've been up to over this past week. |
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This Week the Government Announced... |
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In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East, the UK has now officially recognised the state of Palestine. This historic decision, taken alongside some of our closest allies, reflects the Government's unwavering commitment to a two-state solution and affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. The horrific scenes in Gaza, the illegal settlements in the West Bank, and the actions of Hamas mean the prospect of a two-state solution is fading fast. I firmly believe that a two-state solution is the only path to ensure a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable Palestinian State. At the moment, we have neither. So it is our historic and moral responsibility to act. The plight of the hostages still captured in Gaza remains at the forefront of all our minds. The Prime Minister has met the families of the British-linked hostages and heard first-hand their suffering. He will keep supporting every effort to bring them home. This decision is not a reward for Hamas. They are a brutal terrorist organisation that wants to see Israel destroyed. Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace with recognised borders is the exact opposite of their hateful vision. The UK's demands on Hamas have not changed. It must release all hostages, agree to an immediate ceasefire, accept it will have no role in governing Gaza, and commit to disarmament. But Hamas are not the Palestinian people. The decision to recognise Palestine is firmly grounded in the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, and the right of Palestinians and Israelis alike to live their lives in peace – free from violence and suffering. For years, British governments have called for a two-state solution but have only recognised one state. Recognition of Palestine reflects the equal rights of and equal esteem in which we hold the Israeli and Palestinian peoples. Our support for Israel's right to exist and the security of its people remains steadfast. But the Israeli government must change course – halting their offensive in Gaza, letting the desperately needed humanitarian aid in, and stopping their illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank. Recognition is not enough on its own. That’s why the Government are also building consensus with leaders in the region around a Framework for Peace – a series of steps that can take us from a ceasefire to a permanent end to the conflict. But this sends a clear message that there can be a better future. |
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Jess Brady should be alive today, but after 20 visits to a GP practice she went private to discover she had stage 4 cancer, which killed her.
This week, the Wes Streeting, the Health Secretary, announced Jess’s Rule, which means that after three strikes GPs have to reflect, review and rethink. If a patient sees their GP three times with no diagnosis or deteriorating symptoms, this will trigger second opinions, face to face consultations, episodic continuity of care or further investigations.
It will benefit everyone, but based on what we know about women’s experience of being sent around the houses for common conditions like PCOS or endometriosis, this will have a disproportionate benefit for women. Read more here. |
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£25 million expansion of Youth Hubs |
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Almost one million young people across the UK are not in education work or training, and this Government will not stand by while so many are robbed of their potential.
Through a £25 million expansion of Youth Hubs and partnerships with the Premier League, English Football League and Rugby League, the Government are doubling the number of Youth Hubs. These hubs offer personalised, wraparound employment, skills and wellbeing support. This will create real opportunities for the next generation, ensuring support is targeted to those most in need. I want to bring this opportunity to Edgbaston and will be speaking to our local clubs to ensure young people in our community get the skills and confidence they need to thrive. |
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Today, the Government announced its plans for a Digital ID scheme. Digital ID has the potential to make all of our lives easier and put more power and control in the hands of people - from booking appointments or applying for benefits online to proving your age or opening bank accounts. Having many forms of identity for different entitlements in different parts of life is both bureaucratic for the individual and creates the space for abuse and fraud. This includes known issues with illegal working, while the fragmented approach and multiple data registers and systems across Government can make accessing public services frustrating. Also, there are too many people who are currently unable to prove who they are and face exclusion from services, like the 1 in 10 British citizens who don’t have a photo ID. To tackle these interlinked issues, the Government will introduce a new Digital ID. The new digital identity credential will be available for free, to all UK citizens and legal residents aged 16 and over. Over time, people will be able to use it to seamlessly access a range of public and private sector services, with the aim of making all of our everyday lives easier and more secure. Initially this will be used for right to work checks. By the end of this parliament, employers will be required to conduct digital right to work checks using the new Digital ID. While there’s no silver bullet to solving illegal migration, it is clear that unscrupulous criminals are claiming the UK labour market is easy to cheat when seeking to profit from offering dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. The new Digital ID will create a single system to prove a right to work for UK citizens and legal foreign nationals, which will make the process simpler, fairer and more robust. Most employers are already complying with the rules, but where they do a remote check of a UK citizen it can cost them over £10 per check. Our system would aim to make that much easier and cheaper for employers and take away anxiety over a potential employee providing a fake document. International examples show how beneficial this can be. For instance, Estonia’s system reportedly saves each citizen hours every month by streamlining unnecessary bureaucracy, and the move to becoming a digital society has saved between 1-2% of GDP for the country as a whole, reducing the burden on taxpayers. As the government consult on this, a top priority is ensuring that they follow the highest data security standards, for government and the private sector. Preserving the privacy of citizens’ data will be put first at every step, using encryption and authentication and decentralising data storage. The Government will launch a public consultation in the coming weeks and work closely with employers, trade unions, civil society groups and other stakeholders, to co-design the programme. |
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Local powers to restore pride in our high streets |
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This week, the Government announced that communities will be handed unprecedented new powers to seize control over and restore pride in our high streets. Communities will gain Compulsory Purchase powers which allow them to acquire assets and eyesores like boarded up shops and derelict abandoned businesses. This will allow local start-ups to thrive. For larger sites – like disused department stores or abandoned office blocks – it could even see new health centres opening up, or local housing to help reach the target of 1.5 million homes. Councils will also be empowered to block unwanted shops like new betting shops, vapes stores and fake barbers. For far too long, communities have been dictated to rather than in control of their own destiny. This is the latest move in the Government's plan to deliver the largest transfer of power from Whitehall to local communities. |
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NHS Productivity Increase |
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NHS productivity has increased by 2.7% over the past year. That means patients are being seen and treated more quickly thanks to record investment and reforms. Productivity for acute trusts increased by 2.7% between April 2024 and March 2025 – exceeding our government 2% year-on-year target set in the 10 Year Health Plan. The government have achieved this through: ✅More same-day discharges and shorter hospital stays ✅Sending in crack teams of top clinicians to underperforming trusts to drive rapid improvements ✅Better use of tech ✅Reduced reliance on agency staff and improved staff retention This is having a real-life impact for patients – quicker access to tests and treatment. By combining record investment of £29 billion with tough reforms, the Government are making sure every pound is spent on cutting waiting times and improving care for patients. Read more here. |
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Regional Investment Summit |
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The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has pledged that "no region will be locked out of investment" as she gears up to the government's landmark Regional Investment Summit which will be hosted in Birmingham on Tuesday 21st October.
The summit will highlight the UK’s regional investment opportunities in areas such as housing, infrastructure, AI and energy. It will show how this government is reversing the underinvestment some parts of the country have suffered for too long which will deliver jobs and economic growth that puts more money in the pockets of people who live there.
The summit will bring together business leaders and major investors with policymakers, regulators, regional mayors and other local leaders to showcase the breadth and depth of opportunities to invest, expand and create jobs right across our nations and regions. |
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£20 million for Bartley Green |
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HUGE WIN FOR BARTLEY GREEN! For years I have been campaigning for proper investment in our local area. For all the previous government's warm words about 'levelling up', no real change was delivered. Our local services have been decimated and our high streets have fallen behind. That's why I am delighted to have secured £20 million of funding for Woodgate in Bartley Green as part of the government's Pride in Place programme. That's £2 million a year, for ten years, for people living in Bartley Green. I also want to empower our community to shape its own future. The money I secured can be spent on anything from local park improvements to fixing up empty buildings and high streets. Crucially, it is up to residents to decide what to do. The fund relies on locals in Woodgate, Bartley Green coming together to submit ideas for how to spend the £20 million total. Local people know their area better than anyone else and that is why the government has decided to do this differently. This is our chance to improve our area by making the big decisions for ourselves - not by letting people in Whitehall make decisions for us. I will shortly be launching my call out for local people to decide how we spend this £20 million fund. Volunteers will sit on a local board that helps coordinate the project. Keep an eye out on this newsletter and my social media for more details. If you already have ideas on how we spend this investment, get in touch! |
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Bridget Phillipson Visits Harborne |
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It was wonderful to show Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, around Harborne earlier this week.
She spoke to residents about the work she is doing to deliver for families and children. Through new free breakfast clubs, 30 hours free childcare, cheaper school uniforms and recruiting more teachers, Bridget is giving all children the best start in life and putting more money in parents' pockets. |
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Today, I held a street surgery on Burrington Road in Bartley Green. I spoke to residents about the exciting £20 million Pride in Place fund for their area and tackled their local casework issues. |
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Free October half-term pub travel for parents |
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Richard Parker, the Mayor of the West Midlands, is offering parents free bus rides to help cut the cost of keeping children busy this half-term. Parents and carers can apply for a Swift travel card pre-loaded with free bus travel between Monday, October 27 and Sunday, November 2 as part of the region’s ongoing campaign to get more people to try buses. Those who take up the free deal will also be offered a 25% discount on a further week’s free travel.
The offer is part of a £20 million passenger incentive programme, funded by Government through the Bus Service Improvement Plan, to encourage more people to use the bus. The offer is available for new and lapsed bus users travelling with a child. Applications will be open from Monday, October 6 through the TfWM website. |
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Harborne Lloyds Bank Closure |
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It is disappointing that Lloyds bank are closing their Harborne branch next year. However, there has been some misinformation spreading. Whilst the closing date has been provisionally set for 8th October 2026, the branch will not shut until a Banking Hub is opened in the area. Banking Hubs are shared spaces where customers of any major bank can withdraw and deposit cash over the counter. Lloyds will also be sending a Community Banker into the hub on one day a week to provide face-to-face support to our customers, and other banks will do the same. If you feel you will be affected by this closure, I encourage you to go into the branch and speak to the Lloyds staff about how to prepare for the change. |
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It was great to speak to residents about how to make our streets safer at the Bartley Green PACT this Wednesday. I encourage you to attend the upcoming Police and Communities Together (PACT) meetings for your area. Quinton: Friday 26th September, 7:00-8:00pm - St Faith & St Laurence, Balden Road at Court Oak Road, B17 8RD. Edgbaston: Wednesday 8th October, 6:30-8:00pm - Edgbaston Golf Club, 25 Church Road, Birmingham, B15 3TB.
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Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) is consulting on new cross city bus priority measures between Longbridge and Hamstead along the current 45/47, 16/16A, 35, and 7 bus routes. A series of public events are planned for residents and stakeholders to meet the cross city team, find out more detailed information and to ask any questions about the proposals: Monday 29th September between 12pm and 3pm at Moseley Hall Hospital, Old Hall, Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JL Saturday 4th October between 12pm and 3pm at Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH Saturday 11th October between 12pm and 3pm at 408 Aston Lane, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6QN
You can share your views here. The consultation runs until 17th October 2025. |
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Bartley Green & Northfield Community Fridge have partnered with Rainbow Café to provide a safe space and warm welcome for LGBTQ people, especially for anyone with experience of domestic violence or abuse. It is open on Thursdays 6-8pm at Hillwood Café, 40 Hillwood Road, B31 1DJ. |
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If you would like to speak with me at a surgery, the next dates are listed below. Friday 3rd October 10:30-11:30am: St. Germain's Church, City Road, B17 9LE 3:30-4:30pm: City Road Primary School (City Road Entrance), B16 0HL 5:15-6:30pm: Quinborne Centre, Ridgeacre Road, B32 2TW 7:00-8:00pm: Lordswood Girls School, Knightlow Road, B17 8QB
Thursday 9th October 10:30-11:30am: Edgbaston Community Centre, 40 Woodview Drive, B15 2HU 12:00-1:00pm: Newman University, Genners Lane, B32 3NT
As always, if you have an issue you'd like to discuss, please contact my office at 0121 392 8426 or [email protected], or through my website. ✨ Some Good News You Might Have Missed Last Week (15 to 21 Sept 2025) ✨
1️⃣ The Hillsborough Law will mean public officials have to tell truth after serious disasters or face the full force of the law. It also gives bereaved families legal support so they never fight for truth and accountability alone. 2️⃣ New US investment to create more than 7,600 jobs in clean energy, medical research and manufacturing across the UK. 3️⃣ More NHS hospitals are now free from dangerous RAAC concrete, with more on track to be fixed, so patients and staff can feel safe in the buildings they use every day. 4️⃣ With basketball the 2nd most popular sport for young people, the UK government and the NBA are teaming up to make it more accessible and get more people active. |
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Preet Kaur Gill MP Member of Parliament for Birmingham Edgbaston, covering Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, North Edgbaston and Quinton Promoted by David Evans on behalf of the Labour Party, 20 Rushworth Street, London SE1 0SS |
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Follow Preet Kaur Gill MP | |
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